The invention relates to a device for the sterile sheathing of a sterilization-sensitive operating part, which can be connected to a medical instrument for a surgical intervention, having a handling element, which comprises a bundled sterile hose at a distal end, whereby the handling element further comprises an opening, through which the sterilization-sensitive operating part can be inserted from proximal to distal into the sterile hose such that the sterilization-sensitive operating part can thereby be sheathed with the sterile hose.
Such a device for the sterile sheathing of a sterilization-sensitive operating part is known from DE 39 20 508 A1.
Such devices are employed for surgical interventions, in which devices are used which cannot be sterilized or only with difficulty.
Examples of such sterilization-sensitive operating parts include camera systems, used in connection with endoscopes for different surgical interventions.
An endoscopic camera system comprises a camera head, which comprises sensitive inner electronic components, e.g. a signal-processing unit, which processes the signals from an image-capture optical unit into video signals, suitable to be sent to a monitor.
Prior to a surgical intervention such a camera system is connected to a medical instrument, e.g. an endoscope. During the surgical intervention the surgeon can observe the operating site on a monitor. The surgeon manipulates assembly via an operating part of the camera system. The operating part can have still more control elements, such as switches, faucets, electric socket units etc., via which additional devices of the instrument, such as e.g. suction and rinsing lines, can be operated. Due to its complexity and sensitive components this operating part is sensitive to sterilization.
To avoid a sterilization of the camera system or respectively of the proximal handling part the camera system and its connection cable is sheathed in a sterile sheath in the form of a hose, before being mounted onto the endoscope. After the intervention the camera system is separated from the endoscope.
The device known from the abovementioned document comprises a handling element for this purpose in the form of a pick-up, to which a bundled sterile sheath is fixed. An operating part of a sterilization-sensitive camera is inserted through an opening in the pick-up into the pick-up to the extent where the camera is fixed in the pick-up. Then an outer protective cover, with which the pick-up is covered, is opened by a sterile person, and the camera is gripped through the sterile sheath by a hand of the surgeon and pulled away from the pick-up. As the camera is being taken out of the pick-up the camera and the camera cable are automatically sheathed in the sterile sheath.
Prior to the camera being taken out of the pick-up the camera can be connected to a medical instrument. The sterile sheath comprises an opening at its distal end for this purpose.
In order to connect the medical instrument to the sterilization-sensitive camera, which is fixed in the pick-up, a proximal end of the medical instrument is inserted through the distal opening in the sterile sheath into the interior of the sheath and connected there to a coupling element of the sterilization-sensitive camera.
Threading or respectively inserting the instrument through the narrow opening requires considerable concentration and certain dexterity. This normally requires both hands of a person, or one person holds the pick-up and the camera already inserted into the sheath and another person guides the instrument through the narrow opening into the sheath from the other side and attaches it to the camera. This procedure is laborious and unnecessarily prolongs preparation time for a surgical intervention. Furthermore contamination can enter the interior of the sterile sheath via the distal opening and thus reach the operating part of the camera actually to be protected.
It has also proven a disadvantage that when the camera is removed from the pick-up a sterile person must grip the camera through the hose-like sheath. The sheath can thereby also be damaged resulting in the sterilization-sensitive camera being contaminated anyhow.
One object of the invention is therefore to further develop a device for the sterile sheathing of a sterilization-sensitive operating part of the abovementioned type to the effect that connecting the medical instrument to the sterilization-sensitive operating part and sheathing the sterilization-sensitive operating part can be done easily by one person, one-handed if possible, without any danger of a contamination of the sterilization-sensitive operating part.